Spring cover



June 2, 1931.

D. K. POPE SPRING COVER Filed July 7, 1928 Time 1 0a n is] K Pope.

ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1931 I 1 UNITED STA-res DANIELE. Porn, onctnvnnann'onio stems COVER Applicationfiled Ju1 7, 192s. 'seriarno.291,026.) '1

The present invention relates to a detach-.-

able cover and lubricator for leaf springs such as are employed forsupporting ave hicle body, and has for its object to provide. a flexiblecover which can be quickly and easily attached to a spring or detachedthere from and which is so constructed as to main tain a tight jointalong the attachededges of the cover.

ing elements are attached, the reinforcement providing a rigid anchorfor the fastening elements and being flexible longitudinally so as toconform to the bowed surface of the spring to which the cover isapplied.

A further object is to provide fastening elements at intervals along theedges of the cover-by means of which the cover may be drawn tightlyaround the spring and which may be locked in adjusted positions tosecurely holdthe edges of'the cover together.

A further object is to provide a fastening element in theform ofaiprojecting sheet 25 metal tongue attached to. one edge of the coverand an eye formed to receive the tongue attached to the opposite edge.so that the tongue may be passed through the eye and pulled to draw theedges of the cover together and to provide means in 'connectionwith thetongue for securely clamping the outer end portion of the tongue againstthe inner end thereof to lock the fastener. f r

WVith the above and other objects in view,

spring cover as illustratedinthe accompanying drawings hereinafterdescribed and particularly set forthiin the appended claims,-togetherwith such. variations and modificationsthereof as will be apparent toone skilled in the art towhich the invention appertains;

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthe specification inwhich:

a spring ;with the cover thereon, a portion of the cover being brokenaway to show the structure of the cover;rFig. 2 is aksection taken onthe line indicated at 2,2 in Fig.

{Q9 1; Fig. is a plan view of the cover in open A further object is toprovide a cover having reinforced edges to which the fasten theinvention. maybe said to comprise the -ble cover 'QlarefoldedoVer flatreinforcing position; Fig.4 is anend view of the cover,

in open position -Fi'g. 5 isa section taken on;

thetline indicated'at '5 5.in. Fig. 3; Fig. 6. a r is a sectiontakenontheline indicated-at 6 6 in-Fig. 3; Fig. ,7 is a bottom plan viewshowing the spring with the'coverin place thereon; Fig. 8 is aperspective view of one of the fastener tongues; Fig; 9 is a'perspectiveview of one of the fastener eyes; Fig. 10 is a plan view of areinforcingstrip; and Fig. 11 is a section takenonthe lineindicated at1111 in Fig. 10.

lief; rring to the accompanying drawings, the cover of the presentinvention is shown applied to an'automobile spring 1 composed ofsuperposed leaves of {progressively shorter length,the cover 2 beingformed of flexible materialv such as waterproof-fabric and being ofsubstantially trapezoidal shape so that it may be wrapped about thespring with its opposite side edges adjoining along the bottom ofthespring. I 7 1 The cover preferably has a felt lining 3 and isprovided with relatively thick felt padding strips4 and 5 attached toits end edges. The r I coverQ-serves tovsecure in placeupon the topsurface of the spring a felt pad 6-wh1ch serves as a reservolr forlubricant which works into the spaces between the leaves ofthespring,

the lubricant being preferably a solid or semi-solid mineral oil withwhich the. pad is impregnated and which is wiped off the pad by theleaves during flexing of the spring and the feltlining 3 serves as. a;heat insulator to prevent condensation of moisture on the springwithinthe cover, i I

The cover Q'is secured tightly upon the spring with its edgesadj oiningalong the bottom of the spring so as to prevent water fromreachingtheportion ofthe spring within the cover, the end pads l and 5providinga tight joint at the ends-ofthe cover to prevent wa- V ter ordust from entering the coverlthrough' i p the ends.v Figure, 1 is afragmentary side elevation of g The presentinvention residesin means forquickly and securely fastening thecover in cover, The opposite sideedges'oftthe fleiri strips 7 which are preferably formed of resilient metaland the edges of the fabric are' cover when the cover is secured inplace on the spring. Sheet metal tongues 10 are at tached to one of thereinforced edges'of the cover and as shown'in' Figs. 7 and 78, each ofthe tongues is provided at its inner end with laterally projectingpertiehs 11 and withan aperture is which receives a rivet 13 which i vextends '-threnghthe reinforcing strip 7 and the'f'abr'ic overlying theopposite Sides of the reinforcing strip.- E'ac'h tongue 10 pro ectsoutwardly at right angles to theedg'e to which it is attached and thelaterahy extending per t-ions ll lie seen the reinforced edge "to whichthe tongue is atteehedehd serve as locl'z i-ng clips as will beherein-afterexplaine'd. I L

Suitable eyes formed to receive the tongues 10' are attached to a'reinforced edge of the v cover, each eye being directly oppositeatongue; The eyes may be-eehstrueted in any suitable manner and attachedany suit V ablemeans tothe reinforced'edgeof thecover.

As illustrated herein, each eye consists off-a folded sheet meta-1 clip14: which receives an elongated wire l'oop 15of a shape to receive oneof the tongues 10 and the clip 14 is secured to the edge of the covermeans of a rivet '16 which passes thrbught'he reini forcing stripf? andthe fabric overlying opposite faces of the strip;

In applying the cover to aspr-ingthe cover is wrappedabout the springinsuch a manner as to bring the reinforced edges thereof along theundersideofthe spring. The tehgues 10 are then inserted through the-eyes1'5 and are pulled tightly to draw the cover snugly about the spring.uiponithemselves over the eyes 15 into contact with the outer surface ofthe inner end portions attached to the reinforced edge of the cover andare i'igidflys'ecuredjin this position hybendihg the laterallyprejeetingportions 1i ever the-bent hack portion of the te'ngue: The-tongue isthus bent 180 ever the eye and is pesititeijy locked against movementthrough-t e' 'ey'e so that the-edgesof thecover are securely elelagainst separation "The resilient reinrerei-hg s'teips- 'r provide arigid anchor for the fastening elements, but are suifierentlyfflehibie'te eenie ri'n to the bowed ser f-eeeef thespring the strips 7; by theirresiliehey-hetin gj te ,piessjthe portions of the 1 edges between thefa's'teriingeleinents against the under side :ofthesprin'gfthusmaintai'ntight joint between the "edges of the cover in thespaces between the fastening elements and providing a tight jointthroughout the length of the-cover with a small number of fasteningelements.

These resilient strips 7 are also capable of flexing with the spring andmaintaining the edges of the cover in close contact therewith.

Where the spring to be covered is of"consid erable length the flexing ofthe outer end portion of thespringmay be suificient to cause "asli'gh'tseparation of the edges of the cover inwardly of the outerfasteningelement. In covers for such springs, it is desirable to providea telescopic reinforcing strip instead of a one piece reinforcing strip,Such a tele 'soopic strip is illustratedinFigslO and i1 ofth'e drawingsin which: there is shown are-- in'forcingstrip composed of sections Hand18 Y which are telescopically connected by means of a sheet metal sleeve19 which is 'attac'hedto one of the sections by means of arivet 20 andwhich is formed to sli'dably receive the other spring while it isflexing;

It willebe apparent that the present invention. providesa cover which.can b'e quickly and easily applied to a s. )ring-and.fastening elementsby means of which the cover can be drawn into snug engagement throughoutits length withthe spring and by meansrof which thecover is securelyheldin tight-engagement' with 'thespring; 7 c w; Furthermore, the fasteningmeans permits the cover to be-quicklydetached whenever desiredandre'eapplied to the spring. In addition, the presentinvention providessimple fastening devices which are spaced at intervals along the lengthof" the adjoining edges of the'cover and which serve to maintain a"tight joint throughout thelengrthof the cover. The tonguesare thenbentbac'k i VVh'a-t I claim is: V V e 1. Ina cover for leaf springscomposed of fiexiblematerialand'of ashapeto wrap "about a "springwithopposite edges adjoining longitudinally ofsthe springya fasteningdevice comprising a" bendable sheet 5 metal tongue haying aflat'iiiner'endrsecured upon the outer face of the'coveradj acent an:edge of the cover, aneye formed toreceive said tongue; said tighten thecover 'on the spring-and Ib'e bent back upon iitse'lf'to secure the sameagainst separation, and meansrfor clam ping'ithebent back end of the'tongue agains't the flat inner end thereof. Y a I 1 2.11 1 a-eever forleafsprings composed of flexible material and of a shape to wrap about aspring with opposite edges adjoining longitudinally of the spring, afastening device comprising a bendable sheet metal tongue having a flatinner end secured upon the outer face of the cover adjacent an edge ofthe cover, an eye formed to receive said tongue, said'eye being alinedwith the tongue and attached to the opposite edge of the cover, wherebysaid tongue may be passed through said eye to draw said edges togetherand tighten the cover on the spring and be bent back upon itself tosecure the same against separation, and means for clamping the bent backends of thetongue against the inner ends thereof, comprising bendablesheet metal clips attached to the tongue adjacent its inner end andoverlying the portion of the cover to which the inner end of the tongueis attached, said clip being adapted to be bent back over the outer sideof the bent back end of the tongue to secure said end upon the flatinner end of the tongue.

3. A cover for leaf springs comprised of flexible material and of ashape to wrap about a spring with opposite edges adjoininglongitudinally of the spring, separable tightening and fasteningelements secured to the opposite edges of the cover at intervals alongthe length thereof, resilient reinforcing bars secured in opposite edgesof the cover, said bars being composed of telescopically connectedsections.

4. A cover for leaf springs comprised of flexible material and of ashape to wrap about a spring with opposite edges adjoininglongitudinally of the spring, separable tightening and fasteningelements secured to the opposite edges of the cover at intervals alongthe length thereof, resilient reinforcing bars secured in opposite edgesof the cover, said bars being of substantially flat resilient metal andbeing composed of sections telescopically connected between fastenerelements. I

5. In a cover for leaf springs composed of flexible material and of ashape to wrap about a spring with opposite edges adjoining along thelength of the spring, a fastening device comprising a bendable sheetmetal tongue having a fiat inner end secured upon the outer face of thecover adjacent one edge of the cover, said tongue having a laterallyprojecting ,clip formed integrally therewith adjacent its point ofattachment to the cover, an eye formed to receive the tongue andattached to the opposite edge of the cover, whereby the outer end ofsaid tongue may be drawn through the eye to tighten the cover and bebent back against its inner end and said clip bent over said bent backportion of the tongue to secure the same against said flat inner end. vIn testimony whereof I aifix' my signature.

DANIEL K. POPE.

